Transitioning From Idea To Manufacturable Product [Case Study]

The challenge: Take a consumer product concept and turn it into a manufacturable design to be used as part of an Intellectual Property (IP) package.

A new customer was recently referred to 3D Innovations by a past client of ours, in which we helped them bring their product to market. With a simple concept in hand, this new client needed assistance in taking an idea and turning it into a manufacturable product. The 3D Innovations design team was tasked with taking a sketch, drawing and handmade prototype, and developing it into a manufacturable design that could be used as part of an Intellectual Property package.

(Photo credit: Home Depot website)

Once we finalized the conceptual design rendering, a functional prototype was developed using 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing technology. With the functional prototype complete, the idea really came to life. From here, the detailed drawings that we created were then used in the official patent application. With the design and functional prototype in hand, our customer began approaching several companies regarding a licensing deal.

Results: Working with a group of IP attorneys, the idea was successfully patented and licensed to a large manufacturer/distributor.

*[Note] – Not all ideas are turned into a manufacturable product by the inventor themselves, in some cases—such as this one—the inventor decided to use a licensing strategy to take advantage of the vast sales and distribution channels that larger corporations already have in place. Also, licensing is not always about the technical design, instead the strategy is focused on creating value for the licensor to add to their existing product portfolio.

“With the assistance from 3D Innovations, I was able to provide a rough mock-up of my idea and get a functional design along with a prototype developed that, in turn, allowed me to obtain a licensing deal with a large manufacturer within my targeted industry.”

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3D Innovations is a Product Development Company – from the 3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.